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It's unfortunate that video games need research to make them seem worthwhile, but sports are widely accepted as being good things for kids to do. Even though I'

It's unfortunate that video games need research to make them seem worthwhile, but sports are widely accepted as being good things for kids to do. Even though I'd bet there's a negative correlation between time spent playing sport and academic performance, at least at the more extreme ends of the spectrum. At high school, it's not even good for preventing obesity since the most lasting obesity starts in childhood before teenage years. Anecdotally, I know several people who played competitive sport at high school then quickly became overweight afterwards apparently because they maintained the high-energy eating habits they needed as a teenager.

eru 11y ago
> It's unfortunate that video games need research to make them seem worthwhile, [...] Just wait a generation. I am willing to bet however, that your opinion on sports is too pessimistic. At low to medium levels sports probably helps academic performance, because it helps everything. (But for a proper bet, we'd have to agree on more precise terms, and odds we are offering, and an amount, and then go ahead and do some research.)
- Asbostos 11y ago
  Yea, you're probably right about moderate levels of sport. On a very direct level, faster blood circulation from exercise improves brain function. There's probably also some motivation/self-esteem feelings it helps with as well. I wonder if in a generation we'll see posters encouraging kids to play video games instead of blobbing out in front of the Facebook or whatever the new bogeyman is. I get the feeling that using a computer (or phone or whatever it is) is becoming accepted as default OK and now it's the specific types of app that can be "good" or "bad".
- mhurron 11y ago
  > Just wait a generation. There are still plenty of people who have grown up with games as a normal part of life that look down on those who play them as wasting time and hold it as a badge of honour when they no longer play them, as though this means they have now matured. Modern sports grew out of gentleman's games in universities, the whole culture was something that people looked up to as civilized before it came to be something everyone 'participated' in. > At low to medium levels sports probably helps academic performance I don't believe the parent was talking about actually playing sports, which would help, but was more talking about the Sunday Afternoon Football game where it is socially acceptable to sit and watch the game and associated commentary for hours
  - eru 11y ago
    Have you actually read Asbosto's comment? > [...] but sports are [...] for kids to _do_. [...] correlation between time spent _playing_ sport and academic performance, [...] preventing obesity [...]
pdkl95 11y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxVDOc-oV8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxVDOc-oV8 "Things of Beauty: Super Smash Bros. as Spectator Sport" There will be convergence between sports and video games - probably to the annoyance of both sides, at first - because it already is converging.

eru 11y ago

> It's unfortunate that video games need research to make them seem worthwhile, [...] Just wait a generation. I am willing to bet however, that your opinion on sports is too pessimistic. At low to medium levels sports probably helps academic performance, because it helps everything. (But for a proper bet, we'd have to agree on more precise terms, and odds we are offering, and an amount, and then go ahead and do some research.)

Asbostos 11y ago
Yea, you're probably right about moderate levels of sport. On a very direct level, faster blood circulation from exercise improves brain function. There's probably also some motivation/self-esteem feelings it helps with as well. I wonder if in a generation we'll see posters encouraging kids to play video games instead of blobbing out in front of the Facebook or whatever the new bogeyman is. I get the feeling that using a computer (or phone or whatever it is) is becoming accepted as default OK and now it's the specific types of app that can be "good" or "bad".
mhurron 11y ago
> Just wait a generation. There are still plenty of people who have grown up with games as a normal part of life that look down on those who play them as wasting time and hold it as a badge of honour when they no longer play them, as though this means they have now matured. Modern sports grew out of gentleman's games in universities, the whole culture was something that people looked up to as civilized before it came to be something everyone 'participated' in. > At low to medium levels sports probably helps academic performance I don't believe the parent was talking about actually playing sports, which would help, but was more talking about the Sunday Afternoon Football game where it is socially acceptable to sit and watch the game and associated commentary for hours
- eru 11y ago
  Have you actually read Asbosto's comment? > [...] but sports are [...] for kids to _do_. [...] correlation between time spent _playing_ sport and academic performance, [...] preventing obesity [...]

pdkl95 11y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxVDOc-oV8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxVDOc-oV8 "Things of Beauty: Super Smash Bros. as Spectator Sport" There will be convergence between sports and video games - probably to the annoyance of both sides, at first - because it already is converging.